


Where Are You, Mom?

by Night_Writer



Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Video Game), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types, Wiedźmin | The Witcher Series - Andrzej Sapkowski
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Child Loss, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Sad Ending, Stillbirth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-04
Updated: 2019-09-04
Packaged: 2020-10-06 22:09:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20514293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Night_Writer/pseuds/Night_Writer
Summary: Ciri searches for her pregnant mother, Yennefer, whom she hasn't seen all morning.What she finds sends her frantically looking for her as Geralt joins in.





	Where Are You, Mom?

**Author's Note:**

> Big angst.  
If you follow my tumblr (Corvo-Bianco-Lilacs.tumblr.com), then you have already read this one-shot.  
If you don't follow me, then I'm so sorry for this.  
Read with caution. Trigger Warnings posted.

Ciri made her way up the stairs towards Yennefer and Geralt’s bedroom. Kaer Morhen felt empty without Geralt, Lambert and Eskel there, but she spent her time training with Vesemir and, if she was feeling up to it, Yennefer helped her focus her ability.

The teen hadn’t seen Yennefer all morning, and well into the afternoon, so she had grabbed a plate of food and had begun her trek up the stairs. She stopped at the door and knocked, listening for Yen’s voice to filter past the wood and into the stairwell. Silence was her response, so she knocked again, but still received no response. She twisted the doorknob and inched the door open, slowly peaking her head into the room.

“Yennefer? I’ve brought you some food.” Ciri called, waiting to hear her mother’s response, but only being met with more silence. She stepped up the final stair and into the room, glancing around for any sign of Yen. “Yennefer? Mom?… Are you in here?”

Panic began to bubble in Ciri’s belly when Yennefer gave no response. She discarded the plate of food onto the nearby desk and moved further into the room, her eyes searching for even a speck of raven hair or ivory skin. Sunlight bounced off of the floor, catching her eye. She gazed down and saw a few dark droplets shimmering against the stone. Curious, she approached it, placing her foot on it and dragging it back. Her stomach dropped at the sight.

It was blood.

“Mother? Mother!” She called, fear coating her voice as she moved through the room, looking out on the balcony, then coming back towards the bed, where another set of drops brought pain to her chest.

She paused to catch her breath, glancing around the room once more to be sure she didn’t miss anything. She focused on the room around her, searching for even the faintest speck of magic. Her eyes snapped open as she moved back over towards the balcony door.

“A portal… It’s faint.” She breathed, moving her arm out to feel the trace of magic.

“Yen?” Geralt’s voice snapped her back to the room, and she glanced over towards the stairs as he came through the door. Their eyes met as Geralt stood in the doorway. “Ciri? Where’s Yen?”

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out. She hasn’t come down all day.” Ciri replied, glancing back towards the remnants of the portal. “I’ve found spots of blood around the room. I’m terrified of what could have happened… She teleported recently, but the trace is faint… She couldn’t have gotten far.”

“Take me there. Take me to her, Ciri.” Geralt pushed, his voice rushed with a hint of fear as he gazed into his little girl’s eyes. “We need to hurry.”

Ciri wasted no time in taking hold of his hand and following the trail left my the portal. They reappeared in the middle of the forest just past the mountains that kept Kaer Morhen secluded. Geralt and Ciri separated, walking around in search of any clue to Yen’s whereabouts. Ciri was the first to find a discovery.

“Geralt! Come quick!” She called, turning her head to see Geralt jogging towards her. Once he was at her side, she pointed down to the ground. “More blood…”

Geralt’s heart sank at the sight of the puddle before them. At this point, he feared for Yen’s life. He steeled himself as he gazed back out in front of them, looking for a trail that she may have left behind.

“She left a faint trail… Follow me.” Geralt spoke, taking off as he followed after Yen’s trail.

Broken twigs and branches, drops of blood, and a torn piece of fabric from her blouse sent Geralt and Ciri into a panic as they came closer and closer to where Yen was. At the edge of a clearing, Geralt stopped in his tracks, eyes wide as he gazed out into the space. Ciri came up beside him, tears welling in her eyes as she followed his gaze. They took off, running to Yen’s collapsed figure and dropping to the ground beside her.

“Yen!” Geralt called, cupping her cheek as he gently turned her head towards him. Her eyes fluttered, but didn’t open.

“G-Geralt…?” She questioned, her voice a faint whisper to them. Her hand slowly came to rest on his arm before falling back to the ground and leaving a bloody smear on his skin.

“Mom…” Ciri spoke, her voice squeaking just a bit as fear ebbed in her throat. She reached over Yen’s belly and took hold of her hand, ignoring the puddle of blood that stained the ground beneath Yen’s waist. Yen weakly returned Ciri’s grasp.

“Ooh… Ciri… My baby…” Yen sighed, her voice fading as she went just a little limper against Geralt’s hand. “The baby…” She breathed, her brow furrowing into a slight grimace of pain.

“I’ll go get help.” Ciri spoke. She leaned down to kiss Yen’s cheek, then disappeared into a puff of green energy, leaving Geralt and Yen alone.

Geralt turned his gaze back down to Yen, who sported a look of pain once more. He took hold of her hand, stroking his thumb across her knuckles.

“Geralt… The baby…” She breathed, a lone tear slipping from her left eye and landing against his palm.

“The baby will be fine… You’ll both be fine.” Geralt spoke, his voice soft as he pressed their hands against her belly. “Everything will be fine, Yen.”

She forced a smile at his words before succumbing to her exhaustion and falling limp against his hand. He moved around her and brought her head up to rest on his lap, one hand gently stroking her cheek while the other held hers against her belly. At the moment, he was glad that he was unable to shed tears, because he wouldn’t be able to stop the tears once they began. He bowed his head and gazed at Yen’s sleeping face, waiting for Ciri to return.

——————————————————————————-

The silence was broken by the crackling of magic as Ciri returned with Philippa and Sheala, who both flocked to Yen’s side to asses her condition. Within moments, both of them held grave looks on their faces as they gazed down at Yen, then slowly lifted their eyes back up to look between Geralt and Ciri. Realization flashed in Ciri’s eyes immediately at their looks.

“No… No, don’t you DARE!” She cried, tears slipping down her cheeks. “Don’t you dare say that the baby is gone! Don’t!”

Geralt’s eyes snapped to the other women, fear glistening in his eyes. Sheala caught his gaze, which only deepened her sorrow. She wrung her hands in her lap.

“I’m so sorry Geralt…” She whispered, tears now glistening in her hazel eyes. “I’m sorry we didn’t get here in time.”

“Even with Ciri’s exceptional teleportation skill… It was too late to save the child.” Philippa sighed, her gaze breaking from Yen’s belly.

“Isn’t there something you can do? A spell? An incantation? Anything?!” Geralt begged, glancing between Philippa and Sheala as his grip on Yen’s hand tightened just a little.

“We can deliver the baby, but nothing more.” Philippa replied, her gaze now focused on Geralt’s. “We can’t…. Bring their life back.”

Geralt glanced over at Ciri’s tear-streaked cheeks and bloodshot eyes, then gazed down at Yen’s face.

“If we don’t do something soon, she will die.” Philippa choked, hands balled into fists on her thighs. Geralt saw this as he replied with a shaking voice.

“Save her… Do what you need to do to save her…” He swallowed the lump in his throat as he brought his gaze back down to Yen’s face. He leaned down to whisper in her ear. “I’m so sorry… I’m sorry, Yen… I couldn’t save you both…”

He brushed his fingers through her hair as Philippa and Sheala delivered their lifeless child… A baby boy. Philippa conjured a soft towel and wrapped the newborn’s body with it, cradling him in her arms. Ciri knelt down beside her and held her arms out towards the owl sorceress, who wordlessly nestled the baby boy in Ciri’s arms. Ciri held him close, fresh tears slipping down her cheeks as she gazed down at the pale infant in her arms.

“Hello baby boy.” She choked, a broken smile on her lips as she gazed down at his peaceful face. She gingerly traced her finger of his cheek. “You’re so perfect.”

She brought her gaze over to Geralt, who was smiling sadly at her before dropping his gaze to the bundle in her arms. He turned his attention back to Yen a moment later, watching as the color slowly returned to her cheeks as Philippa and Sheala healed her. Once they were finished, Yen stirred and slowly blinked her violet eyes open, grimacing as the sun pierced them. The three of them gingerly sat Yen upright, holding her steady as she collected her bearings. She rubbed at her bleary eyes, then brought her other hand up to her belly, a sigh of relief passing through her nose as she realized the pain had stopped. Her eyes opened and she found herself gazing into Geralt’s golden eyes, bringing a soft smile to her lips.

“Hello my love.” She breathed, cupping his cheek as she gazed at him.

“Yen…” He spoke, his voice breaking slightly as he said her name. She stared at him, eyes widening at his tone.

“What is it darling? What’s wrong?” She asked, looking deep into his eyes. He dropped his gaze to the ground between them, a shaky breath pushing past his lips.

She immediately breached his thoughts, searching through them until tears flooded her eyes and a broken sob pierced the air. Geralt immediately wrapped her in his arms, rubbing her back and rocking her in his arms as he apologized over and over for not being able to save them both.

“W-where is my baby?” She cried, clutching Geralt’s shoulders in her hands as she repeated the words over and over.

“Mom… Momma…” Ciri choked, kneeling beside Yen and Geralt on the ground. “I… I’ve got him.”

Yen untangled herself from Geralt’s arms, tears still spilling down her red cheeks as she turned her gaze towards Ciri and the small bundle in her arms. She held her trembling arms out towards Ciri, begging for her baby as Ciri gently handed him over to Yen. Geralt wrapped his arm around hers and their son, holding her against his chest as her tears continued to slip down her cheeks, clutching their baby boy against her breast.

Ciri sat on Yen’s other side and wrapped her arm around Yen’s back, offering her support to her grieving mother. Philippa and Sheala excused themselves, nodding to Geralt and Ciri as both watched them leave. Yen’s sobs grew quieter until there was nothing left in her to let out. She sat silently as she gazed down at her baby boy wrapped in her arms.

“Caden…” She spoke, her voice still trembling with the sadness that lingered.

“Caden?” Ciri questioned, her eyes focused on Yen.

“His name…” She whispered. “His name is Caden.”

“It fits him perfectly, Yen.” Geralt offered, holding her closer to him as they gazed down at their son.

“It’s a great name, mom.” Ciri affirmed, curling up beside Yen as she gazed down at the newly named boy.

“I… I don’t know what to do…” Yen choked, her shoulders shaking.

“We don’t have to decide anything right now, Yen.” Geralt soothed, kissing her temple.

“Yeah mom.” Ciri chimed, resting her head on Yen’s shoulder. “Let’s just… Focus on Caden for now.”

A few tears slipped down Yen’s cheeks as she gazed between her husband and daughter. She brought her gaze back down to Caden’s face, etching his peaceful expression into her memory as she grieved for his lost life. Geralt and Ciri wrapped their arms tightly around her, supporting her and grieving with her.


End file.
